NYT Crossword Answers — September 8, 2026
The NYT-style Mini for September 8, 2026 packs a full puzzle into a tiny grid, and today's solution set spans everyday vocabulary from FLAG, ALEXA, BOGEY, BOIL. Today's mini crossword features common words and cultural references, from flags to tech to music, with no overarching theme. Because the Mini is so compact, every square does double duty — each letter belongs to both an across answer and a down answer — so a single confident entry can unlock the whole board. Today the shortest answer, ART, is the kind of gimme that gives you crossing letters for the trickier fill, while the longest entry, ALEXA, anchors the grid and often takes a crossing or two to confirm. If you're checking your work or you got stuck on one stubborn square, the complete answer key below lists every across and down clue with its solution and a short explanation. We publish these Mini answers every day, so bookmark the archive and come back whenever a clue has you second-guessing. And if reading the answers gives you the itch to solve one yourself, our free Mini Crossword plays the same way — no subscription and no account required.
NYT Mini Crossword Answers
Today's mini crossword features common words and cultural references, from flags to tech to music, with no overarching theme.
Across
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The stars and stripes, eg | FLAG | FLAG is a national emblem, and the Stars and Stripes is the U.S. flag. |
| 5. Wake word for an Amazon device | ALEXA | ALEXA is the wake word used to activate Amazon's smart speaker. |
| 6. +1 score in golf | BOGEY | BOGEY is one over par in golf, thus a score of +1. |
| 7. Prepare water for pasta | BOIL | BOIL is what you do to water before cooking pasta. |
| 8. Some wall decorations | ART | ART includes paintings or posters often hung on walls as decoration. |
Down
| Clue | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Elevator selection | FLOOR | FLOOR is the level you choose when pressing an elevator button. |
| 2. Not phony, informally | LEGIT | LEGIT is informal shorthand for legitimate, meaning not fake. |
| 3. Figure skating jump | AXEL | AXEL is a figure skating jump with a forward takeoff. |
| 4. Half of a portmanteau combined with "-borhood" | GAY | GAY pairs with 'borhood' to form 'gayborhood,' a portmanteau for a gay-friendly area. |
| 5. "Dancing Queen" band | ABBA | ABBA is the Swedish band known for the song 'Dancing Queen'. |
Every answer explained
FLAG
Clue: The stars and stripes, eg
FLAG is a national emblem, and the Stars and Stripes is the U.S. flag. As a 4-letter word with 1 vowel, FLAG interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ALEXA
Clue: Wake word for an Amazon device
ALEXA is the wake word used to activate Amazon's smart speaker. With 3 vowels across 5 letters, ALEXA is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
BOGEY
Clue: +1 score in golf
BOGEY is one over par in golf, thus a score of +1. BOGEY is a tidy 5-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
BOIL
Clue: Prepare water for pasta
BOIL is what you do to water before cooking pasta. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, BOIL interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ART
Clue: Some wall decorations
ART includes paintings or posters often hung on walls as decoration. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, ART interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
FLOOR
Clue: Elevator selection
FLOOR is the level you choose when pressing an elevator button. As a 5-letter word with 2 vowels, FLOOR interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
LEGIT
Clue: Not phony, informally
LEGIT is informal shorthand for legitimate, meaning not fake. With 2 vowels across 5 letters, LEGIT is exactly the kind of crossword-friendly answer worth recognizing on sight.
AXEL
Clue: Figure skating jump
AXEL is a figure skating jump with a forward takeoff. As a 4-letter word with 2 vowels, AXEL interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
GAY
Clue: Half of a portmanteau combined with "-borhood"
GAY pairs with 'borhood' to form 'gayborhood,' a portmanteau for a gay-friendly area. As a 3-letter word with 1 vowel, GAY interlocks easily with crossing entries — one reason it turns up in grids so often.
ABBA
Clue: "Dancing Queen" band
ABBA is the Swedish band known for the song 'Dancing Queen'. ABBA is a tidy 4-letter fill (2 vowels); constructors like it because it plays well in both directions.
Tips for solving
- 1Start with the fill-in-the-blank and short (3-letter) clues — they're usually the fastest points and hand you crossing letters for everything else.
- 2Work outward from your most confident answer instead of top-to-bottom; in a Mini, one solid entry unlocks four or five neighbors.
- 3If a clue ends in a question mark, expect wordplay or a pun rather than a literal definition.
- 4Plural clues almost always mean the answer ends in S — pencil that last letter in early.
- 5When two answers seem possible, let the crossing clue break the tie rather than guessing.